The Return
by Escae
Summary: Three long months after Todd falls into a deep sleep, he wakes up to Viola and Lee leading the rebuilding efforts in the newly united Spackle and human village. But when he hears the Mayor's voice inside his head and controlling his body, Todd is helpless to watch as the Mayor uses him to open old wounds between the two races. How will Viola react, and will the community survive?
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

This intro is a bit long but please read it as I did spend time writing this story for you. :I

"Return" aims to be one of the best and most complete Chaos Walking fanfictions available. Discovering the fandom after finishing the books was a great thing, as it helped me connect with other people who had been moved by the books as much as I have. But, after such an unsatisfying ending (in my opinion) of _Monsters of Men_ , I found a surprising lack of good fanfics online. So, I decided to make my own.

I will update this pretty consistently and any reviews are greatly appreciated, as this is my very first fanfic ever and I would love some feedback to help get me off the ground. I also promise not to leave too many of those annoying Author's Notes on my chapters as that does interrupt the reading ;)

"Return" is set after the events of _Monsters of Men_ and may contain a few spoilers, although you shouldn't read the fanfic until after finishing the series itself. Any words formatted with _italics_ represent the characters' Noise.

Enjoy, from a true Patrick Ness fan:

sauceadmiral

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, terms, locations, etc. in this fanfiction. The writing is my own content but all things mentioned above belong to Patrick Ness and affiliates. If citing my work please credit both me and Patrick Ness.

 **Chapter One**

(Todd)

" _say 'ain't' all you like, Todd, I promise not to correct you…_ "

" _I wish yer pa were here to see you, Todd…_ "

" _Yer calling for me, and I will answer…_ "

" _my son, my beautiful son…_ "

I hear it almost all the time now. Words. Answers. Callings. Calling for Todd. Who is Todd?

 _It's me_ , somewhere deep inside me thinks. _I'm Todd_.

 _Yes, Todd. You are Todd._

 _Who is that?_ I think, wondering. A voice. Another voice. A friendly voice.

 _It's me,_ the voice says. _Do you remember me?_

Sometimes the voice speaks to me. Sometimes it reads those words… about a son… about a winter… about a town… about a Mayor…

 _A Mayor,_ the voice says. _A Mayor and a Circle._

And then I realize it. This voice isn't the friendly voice that reads to me and comforts me in this endless dream of memories, of a world, a forest world, full of life and creachers and something about some Spackle… But no. This isn't that loving, caring voice. It's a cold voice, cold and sharp and calculating… Cold… a cold winter… a town… a Mayor…

 _Yes,_ says the cold voice. _A cold winter, a cold town, and a cold Mayor. And…_

 _And what?_ I think, fearing the voice. _A Circle?_

The voice hesitates. Then it says, _Yes, Todd, a Circle. You are the Circle._

 _I am the Circle…_ I think. What is this new voice trying to teach me?

 _And the Circle is you._

 _What?_

 _You are the Circle, and the Circle is you._

The voice is starting to fade. It is leaving, maybe the kind and warm voice will come back. But before it leaves, I think. I think about the Circle.

 _I am the Circle…_ I try again. _And the Circle is me?_

 _Yes, Todd._ The cold voice is almost gone now. _You'll do good to remember that._

 _I'll do good to remember that…_ I repeat, in a trance. Then, I remember something else. Another town, another winter, but the same son and the same Mayor…

 _Not the Mayor,_ The voice whispers, into my head, my soul, the core of my being.

 _Not the Mayor, the President now._ _You'll do good to remember that, Todd._

The voice leaves me. I'm alone. What did that mean? What did the voice mean? I try to picture the other town, the other winter, but the same son, and not the Mayor the President…

And there's someone else.

A swish of hair.

A glint of sunlight off a beautiful face.

I'm trying to remember her face…

Whose face? Who is it?

 _Viola._

Who?

 _Viola._

I rack my head for an answer, my cold, noisy head…

 _Noisy._

 _Noise._

 _Viola._

 _Todd._

 _A town._

 _A Mayor._

 _Viola._

 _A Circle._

 _A winter._

 _Viola._

 _A face._

 _Viola._

 _Viola._

 _Viola._

I am so lost. I am so alone. I need the voice back, the warm and loving and caring and comforting and kind voice… the beautiful voice…

 _Beautful._

 _Viola._

The voice is Viola? It has a name?

" _Hello, Todd."_

It's the voice. It's Viola. I try to remember her face, to see it while she talks to me…

" _my son, my beautiful son…"_

 _Beautiful._

 _Viola._

 _Viola._

 _Viola._

" _Todd."_

And then I see it, her face, Viola, I don't remember it but I see it, with my eyes…

 _My eyes?_

My eyes. They're open. I'm awake. Awake? So I was sleeping? But I'm not, not anymore, I'm here, awake, and I'm not alone, I'm here, with Viola…

 _Viola._

"Viola?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

(Viola)

I hear it. I hear his Noise. He's thinking. He's thinking about Haven, that winter, the Mayor, something about a Circle? A Circle? Never mind that, I'll think about it later. For now, I just sit here, with his ma's book open on my lap, in the same Spackle chair in the same Spackle hut in the same Spackle village, listening to Todd's Noise. My Todd's Noise. I'm reading the book, I'm saying the same line for the thousandth time…

 _Viola_.

And then I hear it, my name, the word he says more than anything. I freeze, and close the book, and strain my hears so hard trying to listen…

 _Viola._

It hurts me when he says it, I want him back, I want him here with me…

 _Viola._

"Todd," I say. I just sit there and look and listen. Look at my Todd.

And then something happens that's never happened before, not in three months of waiting here, and still looking, and still listening.

He opens his eyes.

Todd.

He's there. He's awake. I just sit there and hold my breath, maybe it's just a second, maybe he'll go back, maybe he'll fall asleep again…

No.

Todd is here.

I sit there and hold my breath and I'm watching, and waiting, and listening, harder than ever, and…

He opens his mouth.

He says something.

A word.

A name.

"Viola?"

And I'm jumping on him, and hugging him, because Todd is back, my Todd…

"Viola?" he says again, his voice barely a croak, and it makes me so sad, it breaks my heart to see him this way, but he's back…

"Todd," I breathe.

"Viola," he says again, and although his voice is so quiet and he's barely moving, his Noise is louder than it's ever been in three months, three long months, and it's saying a word, a name, my name…

 _Viola, Viola, Viola…_

And again I just say, "Todd…"

And his face moves. His mouth slowly, very slowly, is twisting up and it's moving, it's moving into a smile…

And I know.

I know Todd is back.

He's back here, with me.

And I don't know how long I sit there, next to him, on the cold stone table where he's laid for three whole months, but it's all I need to know, that he's here, and I just sit.

(Todd)

I woke up, and the first thing I saw was the face… Viola's face… and she just started at me, and I couldn't say anything but I just kept thinking _Viola_ …

And the voice spoke. The face spoke. She spoke.

 _Viola._

And she said, "Todd?"

I could barely force the word out of my mouth. "Viola?"

"Todd."

And I don't know what to do, I'm just so happy and awake and here, I slowly twist my mouth upwards into a smile…

And then I knew, I just knew, that everything was alright. I was here, I was awake, I had been sleeping, for who knows how long, but too long, away from Viola…

So she and I just sit there, for who knows how long, who cares, just me looking at her face and her looking at mine… and all the while memories are coming back. Not just flowing back, flooding, filling my mind…

The town… the winter… the Mayor… the son… the face…

I know now, as things come back to me, that I am the son and that she is the face, Viola is, and me and her went through towns and ate and slept and fought and everything, all of it us, together…

And I look into her face some more, and she's thinking the same things. About the adventures, our adventures, us.

Together.

 _Viola._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

(Viola)

I don't know how long we sat there, just looking into each other's faces, thinking and remembering everything that we did together. I know because of his Noise, the same thoughts and memories are there, along with my name, _Viola_ …

Finally, I say something. "Hey, Todd. Welcome back." It feels wrong, as if I broke the silence, the golden silence of us together…

But he smiles again. And that makes it better.

"H… h…" he's struggling to say something. My faces scrunches up in worry. He's so weak. Todd is weak. My Todd.

"Hey, Viola." He squeezes out weakly.

"Shh," I say, pressing a finger to his lips. "Don't say anymore, you're too tired."

He just looks at me and smiles like a fool, like just looking at me is all he ever wanted to do. Maybe it is. That's what I want.

I hear a sound outside. Not sound, but Noise. Ben's noise. I can tell Todd hears it too, because his Noise perks up and memories come back, this time not of me but of Ben…

Ben walks into the tent, carrying a tray of lunch for me, and promptly drops it. Ignoring the mess, he just walks over to Todd and stares at him. Kinda like what I did.

Todd chokes out, "Ben…"

A tear comes down Ben's cheek. His Noise is the same as my thoughts, just saying _Todd_ over and over. And Todd is saying _Ben_ and _Viola_ and _Ben_ and _Viola_ and he just looks like the happiest guy in all of New World.

"Todd, you're back," Ben says, "I don't know what to say… I… I missed you, Todd."

"I did t… too, Ben."

Ben's face turns stern, almost exactly like mine did just a minute ago. "Don't talk now, I'll go and get some medicine right away…" He starts to back out the door, but refuses to take his eyes off Todd. He hesitates, then he looks at me and his Noise remembers who is here to take care of him, so he smiles and jogs away.

My face glows with pride, and before I can say anything else to Todd, Ben is back with a tin of salve, and the Sky is following him. As Ben applies the medicine to Todd's scarred chest from the blast, Todd remembers the Sky.

 _Spackle…_ he thinks, looking at the Sky. _Band… 1017…_ Memories shoot through his head of Spackle and knives and bands and numbers, until he remembers. He remembers that the thing in front of him shot him.

I'm about to explain to Todd everything, about the last time he was awake, on the beach with the Mayor, how it was all a mistake…

But I don't need to. Todd keeps smiling at 1017, as he thinks of him, and forgiveness and appreciation go through his Noise. At the same time, I remember just why I love Todd so much.

I think about that. Do I really… love Todd? Do I? He's been gone so long, but…

Before I can answer myself, the Sky uses his Noise to speak to Todd.

 _The Knife. The Knife is awake._

I can see confusion in Todd's face, but then the Sky shoots pictures at him through his Noise, of his version of the beach and how he was out for revenge but how he really is sorry now.

 _The Sky,_ Todd thinks. _You are called the Sky._

 _Yes, Todd. You are in the village of the Land, just outside of the sunken town Haven on New World. I lead the Land, or the Spackle, as you call them._

 _We have much to discuss_ , he finishes, _but I will let you rest for now._

Todd just smiles like a fool some more. _Thank you,_ he says, and then _Ben_ and _Viola_.

The Sky leaves and Ben finishes applying the salve and pulls Todd's shirt back down. He seems much less pale now, and more strong. His Noise is less frantic, and more calm.

Ben says, "I have a lot to say to you, Todd," and smiles at him, but then he glances at me and adds "but I'll leave you with Viola now."

I shoot him a smile back and then give the same smile to Todd. Everyone is smiling now, everyone is so happy, and it's all because of him. Because of Todd.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

(Todd)

It's been a few hours now since Ben and the Sky left. Me and Viola sat for a while longer and she talked to me, told me about the new village. Told me about how the Spackle and the human settlers live in peace now, in New Haven.

There's a lot more settlers now, she says, more ships have arrived bringing more people. Most of them have trouble coping with the Noise, but the new classes at the new school teach them new ways to handle it. Everything is fresh and new here.

Except one thing.

 _Viola._

I can't stop looking at her, thinking about how I missed her, how that warm and kind voice of hers took me through my darkest dreams, my coldest memories. And she looks right back, most of the time, except one or two times when she's looking out the entrance to the hut, as if looking for something, listening for someone… But then she turns back to me and looks at me and it's the best feeling so I can't help from smiling.

Anyway, we are leaving the tent now that I can walk, finally, and going through the village. It's not just Spackle, either, humans are there too, playing and working and talking… it's a paradise.

I remember that from my dreams, when Viola's voice read to me, something about building this planet into a paradise…

"That's your ma," she says, and I suddenly realize she's looking at me. "I can hear your Noise, y'know. That book, though…"

I remember. Every time I see or hear something, memories keep flooding back. I know that book was my ma's, and I remember it. About a town, and a winter, and a Mayor…

I remember the Mayor too. Oh, yes, how I do remember him. I remember how he was evil and how he hated me and tortured Viola… I shove the thoughts out of my head. I cover them up with the happy thoughts of now, but Viola's already heard them.

"The Mayor is dead now, you'll also remember." She looks sad.

"Not about the Mayor, though," and her smile turns into a grin as I realize that she read me, again.

"I'm gonna have to get used to that, aren't I?" I asked, but it was to the empty air. I looked around, and Viola was running up the path to a figure, a man with a blindfold for some reason…

She yelled, "Lee!" and I remembered him, too. About his eyes, and about him and Viola. Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that while I was gone, while I was away sleeping, Viola might have grown closer to Lee. I tried to hide my jealousy in my Noise, but I think a little still showed through.

"Hey, Vi." Lee said, embracing her. He looked up and saw me, too. Well, didn't see me really, but you know what I mean. "Todd?"

"Yes, Lee, Todd's finally woken up!" Viola says, her voice full of glee. "Isn't that great, Lee?"

"Yeah, it sure is!" Lee walks over and gives me a hug, too, with Viola beside him.

 _Yeah, it sure is,_ I think, but hide it in my Noise so neither of them notice my jealousy.

"I'm just showing Todd around the village," says Viola, "but you could come along, if you want."

"Great!" Lee indicates that he's coming with us.

"Actually, I'm a bit worn out from all this walking." I say. "Maybe I could go catch some sleep and finish the tour later?" I was careful to leave out "with Lee" when I talked about finishing the tour. Viola may be oblivious to the Noise around her, but Lee definitely took the hint.

"Sure, Todd, I'll take you back." She comes back over to me, looking concerned. "Catch you later, Lee."

"See ya, Vi," Lee smiles. He looks carefree but I can tell in his Noise that he is annoyed.

As soon as Viola and I are back to the hut, she asks, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" I nod, and she jokes, "You were just asleep for three months, and you have to sleep already?"

I manage to crack a smile, though I really am tired now that I think about it. "We'll get you a proper house and everything tonight, but nobody was…" Viola trails off.

"Nobody was expecting me to wake up?" I finish her sentence angrily.

"No, Todd, of course everyone knew you would come back, it's just…" she trails off again, and then whispers, "I always knew you'd come back."

With that, Viola turns and leaves the hut, leaving me inside. I think about what she's done. She waited for me and read to me and kept me from going insane during all those weeks asleep…

 _So why doesn't she love me?_

 **Chapter Five and many more coming soon! Make sure to follow so you get updates as they come! I promise to be active and not leave the story alone for long, but a few good reviews and such will boost my confidence!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

(Viola)

 _So why doesn't she love me?_

I hear it in Todd's Noise as I'm walking away from the hut. I stop. The words echo over and over in my thoughts, asking me, do I? Do I? Do I love Todd? If I was asked that question three months ago, I would have said yes, surely, I do. But now…

I really like and admire Todd and I think he's just the greatest, smartest, kindest guy on New World. But do I love him? I start walking again, just inches away from taking the leap and saying yes, I do love him, but do I? Do I? Do I?

This is the disorganized mess that my thoughts were as I ran into Lee. He faked looking surprised, but I could tell he'd been waiting for me in his Noise.

"Hey, Vi." He said for the second time in minutes. This time, though, he didn't embrace me. Lee might be blind, but he could tell more about what was going on than most other people.

"Let's go for a walk." I nodded, not trusting myself to respond. He slid perfectly into my stride, and just pictured me in his Noise, I could see myself, except fuller, taller, more beautiful.

I knew then the answer to my question. I do love Todd. I do. Lee is also a great guy, and he loves me too, I think. But he sees me as someone else, a prettier Viola, but a different Viola altogether.

I stopped walking again. "Lee," I start, and he can tell I'm about to say something important. "This has to stop."

"What does?" he acts confused, but again, his Noise reveals that he was expecting this.

"You and me. This… us." I looked at the ground. My face was burning, but I pressed on. "You're a great guy, and the best friend anyone could ask for. But this? I… I'm sorry, but I don't love you. Not like that. Not like I love Todd."

There. I said it. I love Todd. And it felt good, it felt right, it felt like, finally. I was saying it again.

Lee looked at me for a while. Then he just nodded, sadly. "I understand," He said simply, and then just walked away, leaving me there to feel like garbage for doing this to him but knowing I did what needed to be done.

When Lee had disappeared from sight, I snapped back to reality and strode quickly back to Todd's hut. I had to let him know. I just had to see him. The hut came into view at the end of the Spackle dirt road, and I started to run. Something was wrong. Something was missing.

I burst through the curtain, looked at the stone table and…

He wasn't there.

Todd was gone.

(Todd)

Branches whipped at my face. Trees loomed overhead, blocking out the midday sun. Roots grabbed at my feet as I ran as fast as I could through the forest outside the Spackle village.

 _Why doesn't she love me?_

 _Why doesn't she love me?_

My head was spinning, twisting, almost as fast as the world that I ran through. I couldn't stop, couldn't think about anything except the way she smiled when she saw Lee and he hugged her and said "Hey, Vi…"

Suddenly, I burst into a clearing. I stumbled and fell face first into the dirt. Scrambling to my feet, I saw a strange pile of rocks a few feet in front of me. The trees were open around it, inviting warm sunlight to filter through and indicate whatever was at the top. Not having anywhere else to go, I started to climb the pile.

(Viola)

"Todd!" I yelled. "Todd!" Where was he?

Spackle and humans were coming out of the huts all around, confused, worried for Todd…

"What's wrong?"

I recognized the voice immediately. Wilf.

"Todd is missing!" I told Wilf in a panic.

"Well, why would he just up 'n leave like that?" Wilf said, mystified. "It's not like anyone made him mad or anythin'…" He gave me a sidelong glance. "Right, Viola?"

My face gave it all away. I knew this was my fault, I knew I hurt him. Hurt Todd.

Wilf sighed. "I guess we'd better start lookin' then." He started organizing the villagers into groups. "We gotta make search parties," he was saying. "He couldn't have gone far from here." I was very grateful for Wilf, a calm, solid rock in the middle of all my worrying.

But where was Todd?

(Todd)

After a few minutes of climbing, I reached the top of the rocks. Inside was what looked like a well, a spring of some kind. Even though the water was crystal clear, I couldn't see the bottom. It looked like it could just go to the center of the planet.

I was so preockupied with looking at the water that I didn't notice the voices until now. The thousands of whispers that circled in my head, slid through my Noise, telling me words from an ancient language that wasn't spoken in this age.

I just stood there, listening, petrified with fear. What was this place? The sounds of all the forest creachers had gone silent. Then, I reckernized it. The voice. The cold voice of the Mayor, no the President, that had spoken to me just before I woke up. It was saying that thing about the Circle again, about how I was the Circle, and I was even more scared than before…

 _You are the Circle, Todd…_

 _Stay away from me,_ I said to it.

 _You are the Circle, and the Circle is you._

 _Stop saying that!_

 _You try. You are the Circle._

 _I am the- no, this is stupid! I won't listen to you._

That voice, his voice just kept saying it. What was this stupid Circle, anyways, and what did it have to do with me? Was it me? Was I the Circle? I decided to try it after all.

 _Fine, I am the Circle._

 _And the Circle is you,_ the cold voice said.

 _I am the Circle, and the Circle is me._

And then something clicked. It's like walking into a room, and the door slams behind you. I suddenly felt cold, too, like the voice. The voice. The Mayor, no, the President.

 _President Prentiss._

Oh, no. The voice… it was the Mayor. Impossible. I had watched him die, watched the shadow eat him on the beach months ago…

 _But did I really die?_

It was then that I noticed how close the voice was. It sounded like it was right next to me, even on top of me.

 _I am you, now. You are the Circle, I am the Circle, we are both… you._

Then, finally, much too late, did I realize my mistake. The Mayor was me. He could control me. I didn't know how that was possible, but the Mayor had gotten into my Noise somehow. He took over. I couldn't move my arms, I couldn't speak, all I could do was think. I was a passenger, a prisoner in my own body.

 _This is not good._

 _Oh, on the contrary, Todd, this is good. This is great. This is the best thing that could have ever happened._

 _You monster._

 _War makes monsters of us all, Todd. But war is also what makes us men._

 _I'm no man,_ I screamed in my Noise.

 _But I am. And I'm you now. Because you are the Circle. And the Circle is you._

 **Chapter Six and more coming soon! Be sure to follow and review to get the next chapters as they come out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

(Viola)

"Todd!" I yelled again, but this time in relief. It was sundown, the village lights were coming on. The last of Wilf's search parties was coming down the road, and Todd was at the head of them.

He ran over to me and we hugged. "I'm so glad you're back," I whispered to him. "I didn't want to lose you again."

Todd looked at me. "Again?" Then his Noise remembered how he was asleep for three months. "Oh."

Speaking of Todd's Noise, it was a little… different. It sounded quieter, calmer, more orderly than the unfiltered emotion that I was used to hearing from him. Maybe it was just that he had more time to recover after waking up. Yes, that must be it.

I finally let go of Todd. My face hardened. "Don't ever do that again, Todd Hewitt. Promise me."

"I promise," he said, and I was satisfied with that for now.

(Todd)

This was bad. This was really, really bad. I watched as the Mayor ran over to Viola, my Viola, and the Mayor hugged Viola, and the Mayor and Viola walked together back to the campfire in the middle of the Spackle village.

"I promise," the Mayor had said, promising Viola that Todd Hewitt would never do that again. But he wasn't Todd Hewitt.

Gods, what am I gonna do?

"So," the Mayor was saying. "Now that I've seen the village, you seem like you're getting along pretty well."

"Yeah, we're real proud of the progress." Viola said. "Humans and Spackle are living together like never before, helping each other." She smiled, evidently very proud of what they'd accomplished while I was asleep. While Todd was asleep.

"But surely there's some confusion?" the Mayor, as me, replied. "Surely there's some people who would rather stay separated?"

Viola's puzzlement would have reflected mine, if I had a face to show it on.

"Whaddya mean? Of course there's people that want to stay separate, but we're working against that. They'll be convinced eventually." She sounded like she needed to convince herself of that.

"Right, right." The Mayor smiled at Viola, and she smiled back. Actually, though, I think they were smiling for different reasons.

Viola was probably happy because I was there, because Todd Hewitt was there, and he was gonna help them convince the doubters that humans and Spackle were meant to live together. But I wasn't there. And that was why the Mayor was smiling back at her, at Viola, because he knew there were people who still wanted what he wanted, war with the Spackle. And because he knew Viola knew that I was Todd Hewitt, which I was very much not.

Gods, what am I gonna do?

(Viola)

It's past midnight. The moon is already descending into the same treeline that I've stared at for the past three months. After waking up from the same nightmare. In the same hut.

But something isn't the same. Todd is here. And he's… well, he's different. But I'm glad he's here. I have to admit, he wasn't as I'd expected him to be. I suppose my view of Todd has changed a little after his long time asleep, but…

Okay, if I'm being honest with myself, he's not at all what I expected. Right after he woke up, his Noise an even more impossible jumble than most boys', it was pretty much what I expected. Chaos walking, right? But not after the forest. From the moment I saw him come up the path with Wilf and his search party, I knew something was different.

Call me paranoid, but I swear something was. He was quieter, calmer, more organized. Not as much emotion was there, you see? Not as much as there should have been.

This was bothering me way too much, and I couldn't go back to sleep. I climbed out the entrance and into the cool night, searching for Ben's hut in the dying moonlight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

(Todd)

I am not going to last long like this. Watching the Mayor wake up, watching him greet Viola in the morning, watching him smile at her, watching her smile back… it kills me. It really does.

I think I finally understand the Mayor's plan, though. He keeps asking about who doesn't like the Spackle, which humans are unhappy with the new society. I think he's gonna find them, and help them get away from the Spackle. Or maybe even turn the Spackle against us… but even the Mayor's not that crazy. Is he?

Anyways, today Viola is showing the Mayor the new big housing complecks. It's a long row of metal and stone rooms put very close together to save space. With the thousands of settlers that came in, we've gotta put them somewhere. They look a little scary with their iron doors and rock walls, but Viola says they'll paint and decorate them to look a little more like rooms you could live in.

"Kind of like apartments," she's saying.

 _What are apartments?_

"What are apartments?" The Mayor asks, even though he knows perfectly well what apartments are. He's good at this.

"Oh, right." Viola says, her eyes full of understanding. "A kind of stack house that we learned about on the ship."

"Ah," the Mayor says, and I know she's got him because I would never say "ah…"

But she doesn't suspect a thing. I would probably look real sad if I had a face right now.

(Viola)

There's definitely something wrong with Todd. I don't know what it is, and I don't like it either. I didn't wait for three months to get this… person back, I waited for Todd. And I'm gonna get Todd back if it's the last thing I do. Although I'm hoping it won't come to that.

I didn't sleep at all when we went to bed that night. I went straight to Ben's hut, and was surprised to find the Sky sitting there with him. It makes me a little angry, admittedly, to have the Sky there, so I say so.

"What are you doing here?" I ask the Spackle leader, trying to seem as casual as possible.

 _I know you think I do not care about the Knife_ , the Sky says. _But I do. I will help you find out what has become of him after he got back from the forest._

I glance now at Ben. "So I guess you told him everything I told you?"

Ben nods. "Basically. So you say Todd's Noise has been… different? Less emotional?"

"Yeah, it's like…" I trail off. "It's not him. I'm used to this flow, this steady torrent of information that he couldn't hide even if he wanted to." It's kind of cute, but I'm not about to tell them that. "It's not just his Noise either."

The Sky sits up a little straighter at this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he says things differently. More professionally. It matches his Noise, in a way." I check to make sure they're following. "Just this morning, I was explaining to him what an apartment was."

Both of their Noises show asking marks.

"It's an Earth stacked housing thing. But when I told him that, he looked at me and went, 'ah.'"

I realized just now how weak my argument must seem to them, who didn't know Todd as well as I did. But then I remembered that they did, Ben at least. He was Todd's father, for crying out loud.

Ben's face showed nothing but sympathy. "I understand what you mean," he said, "and I'll try to ask him some questions. In the meantime…" He paused for a moment. "Think about the Mayor."

"The Mayor?" I asked, confused, as a whole flood of unpleasant memories came back to me. "But… why him?"

 _Because some of Todd's behavior sounds suspiciously like his doing._

I whirled now to face the Sky. "But that's-" I sputtered. "That's impossible! What, next you're gonna tell me the Mayor is, like, controlling him or something?"

Ben and the Sky glanced at each other, sharing a private Noise conversation I could only guess the meaning of. It's been pretty annoying since they figured out how to do that.

"You watched the Mayor die, Viola." Ben said. "We're not leaping to any conclusions yet. But this planet… with the Noise and everything…" He trailed off, and then continued ominously, "New World could have secrets we don't yet know about."

The Sky nodded, and then wordlessly left the hut.

"Get some rest." Ben said firmly. "We'll keep our eyes on Todd for you."

"Don't…" I started. "Don't, you know, go too far."

Ben looked at me sympathetically again.

"I still care about Todd, you know." I said, more confidently this time. "Whether that person is Todd is yet to be decided."

Ben nodded and followed the Sky out, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

(Todd)

I know the Mayor's plan now. I've been keeping my Noise down, just watching and waiting. It hurts, knowing that I can't do anything about it, but I've tried my best to gather information. No matter how hard I try, I can't reclaim my body, but that's no surprise. The Mayor was always more powerful than me in my Noise, he had way more time to hone it and improve it. True, I always had the advantage of Viola and raw emotion behind mine, but without Viola knowing I'm in trouble, she can't help me really.

Anyway, I know the Mayor's plan. I think he forgot that I was there, listening the whole time. He went to see some anti-Spackle supporters, in the night, when Viola and everyone was sleeping. At least, I think she was, I glanced at her hut when the Mayor passed by but I didn't see her there. She was probably reading or something.

 _I should have been there, I should have been with Viola._

 _But you are with Viola, whenever I am at least._

 _You know it's not the same. You know perfectly well what you're doing, whose mouth you're speaking through, whose legs you're walking on._

 _That was surprisingly philosophical for a traitor._

 _Still mad about that, are you?_

Silence from the Mayor. Taunting him is about the best I can do in my current state.

Back to the Mayor's plan. He went to see some supporters in the middle of the night, people who wanted the humans to live separate from the Spackle again. Naturally, they all pledged allegiance to the Mayor right away. Who wouldn't agree if Todd Hewitt, the hero of New World, thought the Spackle were inferior too?

Except I didn't, and except he wasn't Todd Hewitt.

This morning, the Mayor plans to go public with my "support" of the anti-Spackle movement. The same motive applies to everyone in the village: if the hero, Todd Hewitt, wants the Spackle out, then out they go!

It's gonna work too well. Except the Mayor forgot one thing.

I still have friends. I still have Ben, and Viola, and hopefully the Sky, if he cares about me at all. (I forgive him, but he might not think the highest of me after the Mayor announces that Todd Hewitt thinks the Spackle are inferior.)

The Mayor is walking me into the square, or rather, the clearing in the village. There's a big crowd here to see his speech, maybe a hundred people and a few Spackle (but they probably don't know what it's about.) We'll see how this is gonna go. I just hope Viola doesn't hear too much of this…

(Viola)

What is Todd doing? I just was walking through the big clearing, and I saw him getting up onto a big wooden platform, and there's hundreds of people around him, and now he's clearing his throat and shuffling some papers he has…

I'm convinced, this is definitely not Todd. I start running to fetch Ben, only to find him right next to me.

"This isn't like him," Ben murmurs in my ear. "It's definitely not Todd, whatever it is."

Stole the words right out of my mouth. I'm about to reply, but Todd starts speaking. Whatever could it be about?

"People of the village," He begins. As soon as he starts talking, I know. Somehow, some way, it's the Mayor. I know it.

"Ben," I choke out. "What's…? Why…? How…?" But Ben is listening intently to his next words.

"For too long have we been the indominant species on this planet. For too long have we suffered, in so many small ways that add up! Our children, being raised alongside aliens! Our food, eaten by aliens! Our clothes, worn by aliens! Our land, settled by aliens!"

This is not good at all.

(Todd)

The Mayor isn't even trying to hide it anymore. He doesn't care if people know it's him, because his plan is working. People in the audience are either staring at him intently or glaring at the Spackle, who look very uncomfortable. I don't like where this is going, it could end in a full-scale riot.

"Let us continue in the philosophies that the founders of America on Earth believed in, manifest destiny, that we founded this world, and we should control it!"

The humans in the crowd are cheering now. I'm searching for Viola in the back, desperately thinking of some way to signal her…

"It was by our grace and goodwill that the Spackle even survived their fruitless attack on Haven!"

The men are roaring now, and so is the Mayor.

"Yeah!"

"We spared the Spackle!"

He continues. "How did they repay us? For our generosity, what did they give us?"

"Raids!"

"Attacks!"

"Yes, yes, all of that. But what, most of all?" He glances meaningfully at the crowd. "They treated us as equals! Humans, the dominant race, and they insist on democracy!"

The Mayor just stops here and looks out on all his supporters, thousands have come by now, stretching out onto the road. Spackle are being rounded up, out of their houses…

 _It's the mob mentality._

For once, I have nothing to say.

 _Most of these people don't even know what they're rioting about. All they know is fueled by food and housing shortages. And now that someone important has told them the Spackle are behind it…_

 _You'll never win._

 _On the contrary, Todd. See for yourself._

"Take them to the complex!" he was shouting, over the roar of the angry mob. "Make them live in the houses they crowded us into!"

The crowd pushed and flowed toward the ugly gray rooms with bars, apartments, but more like a prison cell now that I think about it.

Oh, no. A prison cell. The Mayor is going to imprison all the Spackle. And the rest of the humans are gonna help him do it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

(Viola)

This is the Mayor's ultimatum, I think to myself, as I'm shoved and pulled with the flow of human bodies toward the apartments. As twisted and evil as this plan is, I have to give the Mayor credit, it's a clever one. "Make them live in the houses they crowded us into!" How catchy.

The mob is almost to the complex now. Rows and rows of gray rooms, now prison cells for the Spackle. They don't even have time to resist as they're packed and locked inside. The flow of people is taking me dangerously close to the rooms, so I run along the rooms to the end of the row, where no other people are gathered.

I step up close to the room on the very end. I can finally think clearly now that all the yelling and angry Noise is away from me. This room is almost featureless, none of the amenities like toilets or furniture have been added in yet. As I'm leaning in the open door, I hear a familiar voice behind me…

"Checking out the new Spackle prison?" the Mayor asks. I turn around, and it's painful to see Todd's face speaking those words. I just look at him.

"You helped design these rooms, you know," the Mayor said. "I suppose I should thank you, for making such an innocent-looking project into the perfect prison."

"These houses were made to help us," I protest, "They were a symbol of two civilizations living in peace together."

The Mayor lets out a cold laugh. "A shame that vision never came true. I helped build it, too, before I realized it was a childish fantasy."

"Oh, you can drop the façade," I said. "We both know you're the Mayor incarnate… somehow."

He just grins wolfishly. This whole time, I'm searching his Noise for something, any sign that Todd is still in there, that he's still in control. But I find nothing. Just a closed, smooth wall. A Circle.

"Well," the Mayor starts nonchalantly, "I suppose I'll have to deal with you too. After all, we can't have an uprising of Spackle-lovers like yourself on our hands, now can we?"

I try to look brave, until I realize what he means. "Wh- What do you mean, deal with me?"

Quicker than I can react, Todd's arm bolts out and shoves me into the open room door. I stumble and fall backwards into the cold concrete half-built apartment.

The barred metal door slams shut behind me.

(Todd)

What is he gonna do? Viola looks so scared now, I can't even control my own body…

The Mayor thrusts out my arm so fast I think it's gonna break. Viola stumbles backward into the gray box, and me hand closes and locks the door. There's a little numbered keypad on the inside of the room for unlocking the door, but Viola doesn't know the code.

 _What have you done?_

 _I've disposed of a violent asset, that's what I've done._

If I had a face, I would've grimaced. To hear him talk about a person that way, about Viola that way…

"Well, I'd better go tend to my rebellion," the Mayor chirps in my voice. Then he starts to walk away. Is he planning to just leave Viola here?

As I'm starting to despair, I hear a desperate call from behind me.

"Todd!"

Using every bit of willpower I can muster, I freeze my leg in midair. Looks like I have some control after all.

"I know you're still in there, Todd." She says pleadingly. "I saw you stop-"

"Nonsense," the Mayor interrupts, wrenching my leg down again. "I am completely in contro-"

I can feel my own lips. "Viola-" I gasp out, until the Mayor's Noise silences my own. "Stop that," he says, frowning slightly.

"I know you can take over Todd." Viola sounds more confident now. "You beat him once, on the beach that day, you can beat him again."

I flash back to the day she's talking about. The Mayor, revealing everything to me, about how he knew everything that went on in the planet, how he was connected to the planet, still is… and then I remember how I did beat him, when Viola showed up, and he said the same words he said in my head now…

 _Here she is, your pillar of strength._ If Noise could roll its eyes, the Mayor's just did.

I know Viola is thinking the same thing, because she keeps talking. "You can do it Todd, just listen to my voice. Think about what you knew before the Mayor, who you knew, what you believed in."

And then, like a whale breaching the ocean surface, my Noise exploded out of the Circle of the Mayor's.

"Viola!" I say again, stronger this time. "It's me, it's Todd, I'm here!"

"Todd!" she exclaims. Now fully in control of my legs, I turn around to see her in the cell, until the Mayor's Circle closes around me again. It's like being bombarded with Noise bullets on all sides, a combination of "YERNOTHING" and "The Circle is me" that never ends and distracts you until he's in control again.

"No, Todd, stop, you aren't in here, not anymore!" The Mayor turns me back around. I must look very strange, turning myself back and forth and talking to an invisible person.

"Todd, you have to stay in control!" Viola keeps talking. "For Ben, for the Spackle, for me…"

I walk over the the cell door again, moving slowly like through water, or like being really tired. I struggle but reach the door, put my hand through the bars inside, find the keypad, and…

 _I don't know the code._

 _Give up, Todd, you can't free her. This is my body now._

 _How can you know the code?!_

Instead of replying, he hits me with another Noise barrage.

"Viola," I say, clenching my teeth, "I don't know the door code!"

She pales. We're both thinking the same thing at this moment… we need the Mayor's cooperation to open this door. And that's not happening anytime soon.


End file.
